Is it unfair to recognize the students with the highest and second-highest GPA at a graduation ceremony?

My little sister will be graduating from 8th grade next year. At this school, the tradition has always been for the student with the highest GPA to give the valedictory address at the graduation, and the student with the second-highest GPA gave the salutatory address. I was the valedictorian in 1998, as was my older sister in 1996. My little sister also seems poised to be the top student in her class next year; however, the school has decided that it is inappropriate to recognize the top two students. They say that it breeds competition among classmates, and that students perform better in a collaborative learning environment. Personally, I feel annoyed that my sister is going to be deprived of the opportunity to follow in our footsteps as the class valedictorian, especially since she has wanted this and worked hard for so long. I don't think there's anything wrong with recognizing the top students. But at the same time, I realize that we're talking about my little sister so perhaps I'm just biased. What do you think?